Chicago health executive named CEO of Seattle's Swedish

Seattle-based Swedish Health Services named a Chicago-area health executive to be its new CEO.

Anthony Armada will start his new role Nov. 1. He is replacing Kevin Brown, who left Swedish in April for a health system in Atlanta.

Armada is the president of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, an academic and research hospital in the northwest Chicago region. The hospital is part of Advocate Health Care, the largest health provider in Illinois.

Armada’s background includes a five-year stint as president and CEO of the Henry Ford Hospital and Health Network in Detroit. He also worked as an area manager for Kaiser Permanente's Metropolitan Los Angeles Service Area.

Armada will take over from Swedish Interim CEO Marcel Loh, who has handled the role since Brown’s departure.

In his new role, Armada will have a close relationship with Providence Health & Services because the Catholic health system affiliated with Swedish in February 2012. Swedish is governed by a board that’s dominated (14-5) by Providence officials.

"Tony brings with him a passion for the mission, vision and values of Swedish and Providence, as well as a commitment to providing the highest quality care to all who seek our services," said Mike Butler, president of operations and services at Providence, in a statement. "We are proud to welcome Tony to Swedish and Providence."